Did you know that 13 billion pounds of paper towels end up in our landfills every year?

The Jimmy Towel is a reusable hand towel that folds down into a durable case for people to use whenever they find themselves in need of a towel away from home. The invention launched November 27th on crowd funding site Kickstarter and will be available there until December 27th.

Ramsey and Lee Johnson hope that the Jimmy Towel will grow beyond just a project on Kickstarter but to an extension of the green movement that saves trees, reduces waste and brings greater consciousness to everyday habits.

Every day, 51,000 trees are cut down to manufacture the amount of paper towels used in a 24-hour period. And most paper towels cannot be recycled or even composted. But the Jimmy Towel plans to change all this.

The Jimmy Towel is made of a super-absorbent cloth branded with an inspirational eco-conscious message. The towel folds down into a pocket-sized carrying case outfitted with a moisture wicking system that helps extend usage. The towels can be removed from the carrying case to be washed at home. Each Jimmy Towel is assembled in Southern California, satisfying the company’s goal to maintain production as close as possible to their headquarters in San Luis Obispo, California.

The idea for Jimmy Towels came in 2010 when Ramsey, Johnson, and fellow San Luis Obispo business leaders including Jimmy ApRoberts found themselves in a local leadership program. While discussing their environmental impact, ApRoberts shared how he hadn’t used a paper towel in more than a year, opting instead to dry his freshly-washed hands on his pants. Ramsey immediately went home, taught himself how to sew, and began making pocket-towel prototypes that he named after his friend who inspired him.

This product can change our impact on landfills by billions in waste. If you would like to help fund the project you may do so at their Kickstarter link below. Personally, I cannot wait to own one.